ants on my showy milkweed

[drexel.n@gmail]

For the past week or so I have noticed ants on my showy milkweed. The plants are 1 stem each and are about 2 feet tall. I was thinking of pinching them back to get them to send out more branches. Would this also take care of my ant problem? How far back to I prune? I know I've seen this info on these forums before, but after a quick search, I didn't find it.

Thanks bunches!

Nancy

[Mona Miller]

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1246&p=5476&hilit=pruning#p5476

http://www.monarchlab.umn.edu/Lab/reari ... kweed.aspx
"To encourage fullness and more leaves, cut back the top of the plant when it is about 30 cm high to promote branching."

Cut back 50% of the plants in late June to about 1/2 the size of the plant. Usually you want to trim above a leaf node. Cut back in early August the plants that do not have seed pods.

[Wyvern]

trimming the plants won't do any thing for the ants unfortunately. The ants are either harvesting nectar from the flowers or they are farming their aphid cows.

[drexel.n@gmail]

same plant - new question. My swamp weed is already making seed pods. It's been warmer than normal so far this year. If I prune it back, will it bloom again? The pods are so pretty, but I really want more blooms. It's only the first week of summer.

[dandjtaylor]

I think you still have time to get some more blossoms if you cut a few way back.

[Mona Miller]

Even the butterfly weed will flower again if you cut them back. I let some branches go to seed and I cut others back. My plants are multi-branched.